Nissan is readying a return for its Altima sedan, confirming the new-generation machine will be revealed at the New York motor show later this month.

The Japanese car maker ditched the mid-sized machine from its local line-up last year, along with the Pulsar and Micra hatchback, but the Altima could be the first in a new range of passenger cars to make a comeback in 2020 with its stylish successor.

While Nissan Australia has yet to lock-in any firm plans, Vincent Wijnen, regional vice president of marketing and sales for Asia and Oceania, recently told Drive that Nissan is “looking at the full portfolio” for potential vehicles, as SUVs “will not be enough” to achieve growth expected by the brand.

“We will be adding product to our range, including electrification of vehicles,” he says.

“Our aspiration is definitely more than what we have today, more and more.

“We cannot wait forever. We’re not talking about a very long time before we start bringing in additional product. We are already working for quite some time now making sure some additional product comes into Australia.”

Nissan hasn't revealed any technical details on what would become the second-generation Altima sold in Australia (previous models were called Maxima locally), but a stylised sketch released to confirm its New York debut showcases a much more contemporary design that looks to give the vehicle a much more upmarket appearance.

It appears to have taken inspiration from the VMotion 2.0 concept (pictured) which debuted at the 2017 Detroit motor show. If so, the Altima is likely to trade its conservative three-box sedan body style for a sleeker coupe-like hatchback.

The new Altima could also ensure Nissan remains in Supercar racing beyond the end of 2018. Drive Racing is currently part of the Nissan Motorsport stable with Michael Caruso last weekend finishing inside the top 10 in the season-opening Adelaide 500.